The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-29
A Hopeless Effort.


Protectionists are making an extraordi-
nary effort to convert the South to the pro-
lection doctrine Congressman Kelley, of
Pennsylvania, has written a series Of articles
for the Manufacturers Record OF Balt-
more ON the South and her resources, and,
Judging from the first one, all of them are
intended to convince the Southern people
that without a protective tariff they need
not expect prosperity. The Philadelphia
Press, one of tho ablest of the protection
organs, is laboring earnestly to convince the
people of the South that they are making
mistake in not sending protectionists to Con-
gress. 1t is having the South written up
from protection standpoint, and supports
its Southern letters with editorial articles.
Last Friday it said that the Southern peo-
pie 'cannot much longer afford to be mis-
represented in Congress by free trade
theorists. The whole substantial business
cause of the South is being more or less in
jured by free trade Congressman from that
section. They are living on the traditions
of the Calhoun days when there was moth
ing in the South to protect, and they have
not generally kept up, as the people them
selves have, with the purposes and demands
of the present time" This is rather
severe criticism ON Southern Congressman,
but as it is manifestly unjust it win not
annoy them very much. 1t is safe to assume
that they understand much better than the
protectionists do what their constituents
want. If they did not represent the wishes
and sentiments of the people they would not
be in Congress. The people are not so in
different to their own interests as to send to
Washington year after year men who mis-
represent them.
A few days ago the MORNING News
called attention to statement going the
rounds of the Southern press that Southern
farmers are becoming poorer every year.
While this statement will not be accepted as
true, there is no doubt that the farmers of
the South are not very prosperous. One of
the reasons why they are not is that they
are burdened with high protective tariff.
What benefit is protective tariff to them2
Their great crop is cotton, and the tariff
doesn't add anything to the price which they
receive for it. The price is fixed in Liver
pool, and it is regulated by the demand. If
the tariff were increased or reduced the
But a protective tariff does affect farmers,
and, that too, very injuriously. 1t COM
pels them to pay very high price for cot
ton ties, trace chains, plows, harrows, hoes,
cotton gin machinery, harness, shoes,
blankets, and, in fact, for about everything
they buy. Win the protectionists tell the
farmer who cultivates cotton, or, in fact,
any other crop, how protective tariff ben
efits him?
Doubtless the protectionists will say that
a protective tariff will encourage the build
ing of cotton and iron mills in the South
Well, the present protective tariff has been
in operation good many years, and it
hasn't helped to build either cotton or iron
mills. The oldest and most prosperous cot
ton manufactures in the South don't ask
| for a protective tariff They are of the
| opinion that if the tariff were removed
their business would grow very quickly to
much greater proportions. New markets
| would open up to them. Within the last
| year or two there has been boom in the
iron business in the South, not because of the
protective tariff, but in spite of it. Iron can
be produced much cheaper at the South than
| etO Ilc ANOiblis IL ~ "0lS ilOb lOi
mense cost Of iron manufacturing plants,
due largely to the high tariff, the centre of
the iron industry would soon be in the South.
Cut down the tariff and there will be dozen
iron mills in the South within five years
where there is one now
The Press saws ''that liberal as the North
has been with its capital in the South, who
can say how much more liberal it would
have been had the attitude of Southern Con-
gressmen been differentf'. 1t is nonsense to
say that the attitude of Southern Congress
men has hindered the flow of Northern
capital to the South. Northern capital has
come South because it has found good in
vestments here. and great deal more would
come if it We're not well invested at the
North. The amount of it coming South
however, will continue to increase whatever
is done about the tariff because it can be
proftably invested.
The truth is the protectionists are losing
their grip in New England and the West
and they hope to gain in the South what
they are losing there. They will be disap
} pointed. The Southern people understand
: their interests well enough not to permit
} themselves to be used by protectionists
! They will continue to send tariff refor1ners
to Congress.